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Pastors, Preaching, and Persecution

Another ‘Honor’ Killing

No one assumes that every Muslim is violent. Few are asserting that the religion itself is inherently violent. Nevertheless, the appearance to those of us outside of Islam is that it breeds violence. The founder of the religion was himself sometimes violent, and the most vocal adherents of the religion are violent. The tragedy at Ft. Hood is simply the latest installment of such violence, but the violence is not limited to isolated attacks on innocent, unarmed victims at military bases. There are other examples here in the U.S. and around the world. The fellow up in Seattle comes to mind; he shot people gathered at a Jewish center. And, sadly, there is another honor killing in the news. This story tells the grievous tale of a father who ran over his daughter because she had become too “western.” His daughter is dead.

All of this says that we should let Muslims know what we are thinking. We are not off our rockers in saying that we associate terrorism with their religion. Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists appear to be Muslim. We point this out not to denigrate their religion or castigate them as human beings; rather, we point this out so they will know what we are actually thinking. Muslims have a duty to speak out more forcefully for the peace of their faith than the militants do who are speaking for the violence of it. We ought to support and encourage those Muslims who protest and oppose the violence. They have quite a difficult work to accomplish; but it is their work to do. We are not helping them when we pretend there is no relationship between Islam and violence. In our experience, there is a relationship. Whether it is a necessary or essential relationship, Muslims must make clear for us.

JUBA, South Sudan (Morning Star News) – A month after seven church leaders were arrested, interrogated and released on bail, police in Sudan detained and questioned another church leader in Omdurman on Friday (Sept. 22), sources said. Elder Mahjoub Abotrin of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) was arrested from his home in Omdurman, across the […] The post […]

ABUJA, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Before Boko Haram began growing into a prominent terrorist force in northeast Nigeria in 2009, its members were trying to kill a highly effective evangelist to ethnic Fulani Muslims. One Boko Haram member pretended to be a Christian in order to kill Habibu Adam Mohammed, 49, an Islamic teacher who had […] The post Fulani […]

(Morning Star News) – Four Christians in Nepal sentenced to five years in prison on false charges of “witchcraft” and “violence” were released today after a high court annulled their convictions, church leaders said. Lali Pun, Bimkali Budha, Suk Lal Pariyar and Ganga Pariyar had been accused in Salyan District Court on May 19, […] The post Christians in Ne […]

LAHORE, Pakistan (Morning Star News) – A Christian father of two in Pakistan has been sentenced to death for blaspheming Islam’s prophet in a phone text even though he is illiterate, sources said. Nadeem James, 27, was charged in July 2016 in Gujrat District after a friend, Yasir Bashir, complained to police that he received a […] The post Christian Father o […]

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When a honey bee gets angry, it stings. After the sting, it dies. Literally, the bee gives its life in defense of its anger seeking revenge. Our anger is often like that of the bee. It is volatile and deadly. And, like the bee, we are able to inflict only a temporary pain to the […]

In my Sunday preaching, I am deep into a quest to cover each book of the Bible in a single sermon. I started preaching this single book series over one year ago, and I have now reached 2 Corinthians. In listening to 2 Corinthians, I was struck by a paragraph at the opening of chapter […]